Ambush on the New Moon, Evil Traces in the Forest

Chapter 24: Moonless Ambush, Evil Traces in the Deep Woods

On the moonless night, heaven and earth were devoid of light. A heavy darkness seeped into the wilderness outside Maple Leaf County like ink. Only the biting autumn wind howled, rolling up dead leaves and creating rustling sounds that only added to the eerie atmosphere.

The six members of the Seventh Squad, led by Li Yifan, moved like ghosts, silent and unseen. They were all clad in dark, tight-fitting clothes, their faces smeared with anti-reflective greasepaint. Their footsteps were light, their presence concealed as much as possible. Qian Xiaoliu, acting as the vanguard, scouted dozens of yards ahead, his eyes, still sharp in the darkness, constantly scanning for any movement.

Their target was a primeval forest to the northeast known as the Misty Forest. According to days of investigation, the lair of the Qi Condensation realm evil cultivator was likely hidden deep within this forest, perpetually shrouded in mist and fraught with danger.

An hour later, the silhouette of a boundless forest, shrouded in greyish-white dense fog, appeared at the edge of their vision. Even from a distance, they could feel the damp, chilling aura emanating from the area, starkly contrasting with their surroundings.

"Halt," Li Yifan signaled. The squad immediately took cover behind a rocky slope about a hundred yards from the Misty Forest. From here, they could vaguely see the main pass leading into the Misty Forest.

"This is it," Li Yifan whispered. "Qian Xiaoliu, take the high ground and monitor the forest edge, especially the paths leading to Red Leaf Town and Sunset Village. Zhao Xiong, Sun Shi, set up an ambush behind the rock pile on the left flank. Chen Feng, Zhang Tie, conceal yourselves in the bushes on the right flank. I'll be in the center to provide support. Remember, keep your Clarity Talismans on you, and do not use your true qi unless absolutely necessary, to avoid alerting the evil creatures."

"Yes!" everyone responded in low voices and quickly took their positions. Qian Xiaoliu, like a nimble ape, climbed a large tree near the forest's edge, his figure disappearing into the dense foliage. Zhao Xiong and Sun Shi hid behind the rock pile, their sabers and shields partially drawn, their breathing steady. Chen Feng and Zhang Tie melted into the bushes on the right, sabers in hand, holding their breath and concentrating. Li Yifan hid behind a massive boulder, slowly circulating his Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique, his mind clear, his senses spreading out like a spiderweb.

Time flowed by in oppressive silence. The only sounds from the forest were the wind and the chirping of unknown insects, occasionally punctuated by the hoot of an owl, making the atmosphere even more vast and mysterious. Damp mist slowly drifted outwards from the depths of the forest, carrying a strange scent, a mixture of decaying earth and a certain sweetish, fishy odor.

After waiting for about an hour, as midnight approached, the time of strongest yin energy, something unexpected happened!

Li Yifan, who had been sensing intently, suddenly frowned. He detected an extremely faint, yet bone-chillingly cold evil aura silently seeping out from the depths of the Misty Forest and slowly moving towards Red Leaf Town. This aura was identical to the one he had felt at the mass grave in Clear Creek Village, but it was more concentrated and... active!

"Something's coming out!" Li Yifan issued a warning using the squad's agreed-upon signal.

Almost simultaneously, Qian Xiaoliu on the tree let out a soft bird call, indicating he had spotted the target.

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they looked intently. At the boundary between the forest's mist and darkness, three blurry black figures were crawling out with a slightly stiff but not slow posture! In the faint moonlight, their outlines could barely be discerned: human-like in size, but more hunched, on all fours, their skin a slimy dark green, reflecting faint light, exuding a nauseating stench and that familiar sinister aura!

It was those scaled evil creatures! Three of them!

They emerged from the forest and did not immediately disperse. Instead, they gathered together, their heads turning as if sniffing the air. After a moment, they chose a direction, the path leading to Red Leaf Town, and began to crawl faster, their movements swift and bizarre.

"Captain, should we follow?" Zhao Xiong asked in a low voice, his hand on his saber hilt.

Li Yifan's gaze was sharp as he quickly weighed the options. These three evil creatures were roughly at the mid to late Body Refining stage; the squad could handle them. However, attacking rashly might alert the evil cultivator deeper within. His mission was to find the lair.

"Qian Xiaoliu, maintain remote surveillance, keep your distance. Zhao Xiong, Sun Shi, advance slowly from the left flank, cutting off their retreat back into the forest. Chen Feng, Zhang Tie, follow me as we circle around from the right flank. We won't attack, just track them, see where they are going to harm people, and then follow the trail!" Li Yifan quickly ordered, adopting a more cautious strategy.

"Understood!"

The squad moved immediately. Qian Xiaoliu moved silently among the treetops, his arrows always aimed at the three evil creatures. Zhao Xiong and Sun Shi, using the rocks and terrain for cover, silently moved towards the left flank. Li Yifan, with Chen Feng and Zhang Tie, moved like leopards through the shadows on the right flank, moving at extreme speed but without making much noise.

The three evil creatures seemed to have low intelligence and did not notice they were being tracked, only focusing on crawling quickly along the path, their direction clear, heading straight for Red Leaf Town several miles away.

After about fifteen minutes of tracking, a relatively open depression appeared ahead, with a small stream flowing through it. The evil creatures reached the stream and stopped, lowering their heads to drink, seemingly replenishing their fluids.

Just then, another anomaly occurred!

From the dense forest on the opposite bank of the stream, a sharp, piercing scream suddenly rang out, followed by the sounds of clashing weapons and angry shouts! Faint flickers of firelight and the glow of true qi collisions could be seen!

"Not good! Someone's under attack!" Li Yifan's expression changed. It seemed there was more than one group of evil creatures out harming people tonight!

The three drinking evil creatures were also startled by the commotion on the opposite bank. They immediately raised their heads, letting out hoarse, unpleasant "heh-heh" sounds, appearing somewhat agitated.

"Captain, what do we do? The situation on the other side is unclear, and these three might run or go to support!" Qian Xiaoliu's voice came through the night wind.

The situation instantly became complicated. Should they continue tracking these three, or go to rescue the people who might be under attack on the other side?

Li Yifan made a decisive choice: "We can't let them harm people! Zhao Xiong, Sun Shi, block their retreat! Qian Xiaoliu, take one down with a long-range shot! Chen Feng, Zhang Tie, follow me, let's finish this quickly! After dealing with them, we'll check the other side!"

"Attack!"

At Li Yifan's command, Qian Xiaoliu's bowstring vibrated. A bolt from his demon-breaking crossbow shot out like a silent black lightning bolt towards the back of the last evil creature's head!

"Puchi!" The arrow pierced accurately. The demon-breaking runes contained within instantly activated. The evil creature's head exploded like a rotten watermelon before it could even scream, spraying foul blood. It twitched a few times on the ground and then lay still.

The other two evil creatures were greatly alarmed. Just as they were about to roar, Li Yifan swept in like a gale! His waist saber was unsheathed, and his perfected Burning Wood Saber Technique was unleashed. The saber light surged like flames, directly aiming for the neck of one of the evil creatures! The evil creature reacted swiftly, swatting with its claws to block, but how could it block the sharp saber edge imbued with Nine Yang True Qi?

"Clang! Crack!"

Its claws were severed, but the saber's momentum did not decrease. A monstrous head flew off!

Chen Feng and Zhang Tie combined their sabers, engaging the last evil creature. The evil creature became ferocious, attacking wildly, but Chen Feng's saber techniques were swift, and Zhang Tie's foundation was solid. The two cooperated seamlessly, suppressing it for the moment.

Zhao Xiong and Sun Shi had also blocked its retreat, preventing it from escaping back into the forest.

Just as they were about to annihilate all three evil creatures, a sharp, piercing howl suddenly came from the direction of the Misty Forest! This howl contained a powerful mental shock and evil energy, making everyone's minds tremble!

Immediately after, a chilling pressure, dozens of times more powerful than that of the three evil creatures, surged out from the forest like a tide, instantly enveloping the depression!

"Not good! It's that evil cultivator! He's been alerted!" Li Yifan's heart tightened. This aura was precisely that of the early Qi Condensation realm Profound Yin evil cultivator!

The sounds of fighting on the opposite bank also abruptly stopped, as if the attackers had also been stunned or recalled by the howl.

The remaining evil creature heard the howl and, as if summoned, desperately tried to break through, rushing towards the forest.

"We can't let it go back and report!" Li Yifan knew that if this evil creature escaped, the evil cultivator would know about the ambush, and tracking would become difficult.

He leaped forward, pushing his Spirit Fox Steps to the extreme. He intercepted the evil creature, arriving before it. At the same time, his Nine Yang True Qi surged within him, and his Iron Bone Technique was circulated to perfection. His skin took on a faint bronze sheen, and he withstood a frantic claw strike from the evil creature with a dull thud, his body only swaying slightly! Simultaneously, his saber flashed, and Scorching Sun Finger was hidden within his saber momentum, pointing towards the evil creature's heart!

"Puff!"

The scorching finger force penetrated. The evil creature's body trembled violently, its movements stiffening. Chen Feng and Zhang Tie's sabers arrived simultaneously, instantly killing it.

The three evil creatures were all annihilated!

But the squad members had no time to catch their breath. The terrifying pressure of the Qi Condensation realm was getting closer! Within the dense fog, a figure in black robes flickered in and out of sight. Those eyes, flashing with ghastly green ghost fire, locked onto Li Yifan from afar!

"Trash from the Xuntian Guard, it's you again! How dare you kill my servants and ruin my plans! Today, I will surely extract your souls and refine your spirits!" A hoarse, venomous voice, like a cold wind from the nine netherworlds, blew into everyone's hearts.